SHOPPERS are rushing to buy a "must have" gadget that costs just pennies to run and could help save on energy bills..

Lidl is selling a popular heated airier which hit stores on Sunday, and many people can't get enough of it.

At just 7p an hour to run many are splashing out on the gadget, which costs £44.99 from the discount supermarket.

That compares to an energy hungry tumble dryer, which costs an average of 67p per cycle.

It's available to buy now from Lidl stores only – but not everyone is a huge fan.

One shopper posted the find to social media, where commenters shared their thoughts.

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Some were excited about it, with one posting: "Got mine this morning! Already impressed with it on this rainy day!"

Another said: "I definitely need to get one."

But others are not convinced.

One wrote: "Surely the only bit that warms up is the bars, so the only bit that would really dry is the bit folded over the bars."

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Another said: "Yep there rubbish only bits that heat up are the bars going get a refund"

And one more complained: "These cost an absolute fortune to run."

How does a heated airer work?

Heated clothes airers are like traditional ones, but you plug them in.

The bars of the dryer heat up, speeding up the time it takes to dry the clothes hanging on it.

You can buy covers for some as well, which speeds up the time it takes to dry your clothes.

The cost of running a drier depends on the wattage.

Generally, how much an appliance costs to run depends on how much you use it, what model you have and how much energy you normally use.

But usually the higher the wattage, the more it will cost to run.

A 300w dryer uses 0.3 kWh – a kilowatt hour is the unit of energy used for billing your electricity.

Based on the average heated dryer costing 10p per hour, it would cost 40p for four hours.

That means that over a year, based on daily use, it would add up to an estimated cost of £146. But that's a very rough figure.

If you're on the hunt for a heated clothes airer, it's best to look around other shops first to make sure you aren't missing anything cheaper.

For example, we recently covered this Aldi heated air dryer which only costs 6p to run.

That means if you use Aldi's one three times a week and keep it on for four hours, that costs £9.36 over the year.

And you should always check possible delivery costs and return policies.

More ways to save on washing bills

Martin Lewis recently revealed it can be cheaper to wash your clothes between 11pm and 8am.

But that depends on which tariff you're on.

Most people currently pay the same amount for energy throughout the day and night, unless they are on an Economy 7 or 10 tariff

These give you cheaper rates during the night and more expensive ones in the daytime.

So this means you'll have to be on one of these tariffs to get cheaper rates.

It also depends on which supplier you are with as they may vary.

However, be warned – leaving household appliances on at night while you're asleep could be a fire risk, so make sure you're awake.

And if you need to run an appliance during peak hours it could end up costing you more.

The advice comes as people are being encouraged to sign up with their electricity supplier for a scheme which will give them money back on their bills.

To get the money back, customers will be expected to shift their use of power away from times of high demand to help prevent blackouts.

That could mean putting on the dishwasher or washing machine overnight or charging an electric vehicle at off-peak times.

The "demand flexibility service" will run from November to March, and it is being introduced to help prevent blackouts.

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Remember if you need extra help, energy suppliers offer support for those who are struggling to pay their bills.

We made a full list of schemes you could apply for here if you think it could help.

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